Chosen
by unfoldingbliss
Summary: Neither chose to be heroes. Neither chose to be pawns. The only choice that had ever been their own was each other. [Word prompts centered around Jaime and Tye]
1. Secret Textbooks

_1. Secret_

"My mama's new boyfriend hit me," the fellow five year-old caught Jaime by surprise as they waited for their parents to pick them up outside the daycare. Jaime had never talked to the boy; he was in the other room. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, cheeks red from embarrassment, "I just wanted to tell someone."

"It's okay," Jaime took his hand and smiled, trying hard not to cry himself. His mommy and daddy never hit him. He looked like a good boy, "I'll never hit you, I promise."

The boy sniffed, wiping at his nose, "Thank you. My name's Tye."

"Mine's Jaime," he replied, "Do you wanna be my friend?"

Tye nodded and his hold on Jaime's hand tightened.

_2. Blankets_

When they were little and the sleepovers were frequent, Tye and Jaime would sleep in the same bed under the same blankets, their legs and arms sprawled over each other as they tossed in their sleep.

As they grow older and Mrs. Longshadow finds a new boyfriend named Maurice, Tye's visits are unannounced, skateboard in hand and bruises across his cheeks. Jaime ropes up his blankets and throws them down. He'll offer the bed when Tye climbs in from the window, but his friend declines every time.

"This is more than enough," he says as he unrolls the sleeping bag from Jaime's closet and sleeps beside the bed.

_3. Searching_

"Grandpa said my...'destiny' is out there yesterday," Tye said while the two tried to learn new skateboard tricks in the park, "Whatever that is."

"I think it means what you were born to do," Jaime replied, performing another ollie with ease, "I know what mine is: to take over my dad's garage! I don't mind it though, care are fun."

Tye frowned, "I don't know about you, but I'm not staying here for the rest of my life. I'll search for this 'destiny,' no matter what."

"Even if that means leaving me?" Jaime asked, his voice going quiet.

He sighed and slapped Jaime over his helmet in response, "Of course not. You're coming too, even if I have to drag you by the ears."

"No, no! Not the ears!" Jaime squealed as Tye laughed, and a battle of pinches and tickles commenced on the grassy field beside them.

_4. Utopia_

"Come on Tye," his voice was not his own anymore, stained with possession and obsession. He floated above him, his plasma canon inches from his face, "This is it. Our paradise. We can do it. We can bring in a new era,_ together_."

"Don't say that name," Tye spat back, "Don't call me Tye. Call me what you call everyone else. Do it. I dare you."

Jaime's kind brown eyes flashed in front of dark yellow. He could see the struggle, the fear, the desperation to take back his body and his life. In that instant, Tye wanted to cry.

Not gone. Not completely.

"No," the voice wavered and Tye could almost feel its resentment at the soul that kept him within the confines of humanity, however weak they were, "We could never."

And just like that the armor rocketed back into the clouds and away from Tye and his comrades. There would be another fight soon. Another death that he bitterly knew wouldn't be his own.

Just one more day in Blue Beetle's twisted utopia.

_5. Textbooks_

If Tye had to pick a favorite book (though reading wasn't really his thing; skateboarding and hiking were much more entertaining), it would be a tie between his science and history textbooks.

Because huddled up on Jaime's couch he would teach Tye about genes and planets and anatomy. And either in parks or the library, Tye would quiz him about presidents and wars and documents.


	2. Light Sky

_6. Light_

"_No,_ Tye," Jaime sobbed, clutching his friend's hand close to his chest, "No, you have to stay with me._ Please_, I didn't mean it. It was the Scarab. It was always the Scarab. Please, Tye, I'm sorry, I'm so - "

"You're back," Tye choked out, grinning through bloodied teeth. He picked his free hand up from off the ground and cupped Jaime's face, seeing it for the first time in years. "You did it, Jaime. You came back."

"Only because you're dying!" he yelled, "And you can't die. Everyone else is gone! You're all I have left. Please, don't leave me, Tye. I need you. I need you so I don't go back. So I don't hurt people anymore!"

Chuckling and crying all at once, Tye brushed his fingers against Jaime's skin, heart swelling at his mere presence, "You're strong, Jaime. You'll be fine without me."

"No, I won't be!" Jaime denied, "You know that. Please, can't you just stay a little longer? I'll find help. I promise."

"Okay, Jaime," Tye smiled, eyes hazing over, "Just after...I...take a quick nap..."

Jaime's screams and pleas went unheard as Tye's vision faded to black, hand crashing back onto the grass.

And the final light in Jaime's heart burnt out.

_7. Crush_

"So, who's this chick you got a crush on, again?" Tye asked, lying on Jaime's living room floor and watching him play the new Final Fantasy game he received for his birthday.

"She's from...um...out of town," Jaime replied, not bothering to look into Tye's direction, keeping his eyes glued to the screen as he rapidly pushed the buttons on his controller.

"How'd you meet her?" he further questioned.

"Um...on a field trip?" his friend's voice quavered slightly, eyes darting to Tye just for a second before turning his attention back to the battle.

"Now that's a lie," Tye scoffed. "You're with me on every field trip and we haven't had one since last year. Spill, bro."

"Look, I can't really..." Jaime trailed and let out a yelp as the enemy unleashed an electric storm on his party, devastating the health of two and killing the other, "Look, can we talk about this later? This is kind of an important battle and I do _not_ want to do this a fourth time."

"Fine," Tye sighed, "Can you at least tell me one thing about her?"

"...Blonde," Jaime answered, "She has blonde hair."

_8. Heat_

The summer days could be brutal in El Paso. Dry wind and a blazing sun kept most kids within a mile or two of their homes. Easier to run back to if the weather became too unbearable.

But for Jaime and Tye, they welcomed the summer heat like they would an old friend, throwing off their jackets and shirts and letting their exposed skin breathe in the sunshine. The days were passed skateboarding across streets and parks, climbing up apartment ladders and rooftops, exploring every inch of what their city had to offer.

Heat meant no school and no responsibilities.

Heat meant freedom.

_9. Memory_

He couldn't recollect much from his human life.

There were some faces that stood out; a man with a mustache, a woman with glasses, and a small girl with hair pulled into pigtails were the most prominent. Then there were faces that were fuzzy and deformed, bloody and marred. One instant he would envision a blonde teen with clear blue eyes grinning brightly and the next, her face would twist into purple and black bruises, arms broken and skin cut up. Another boy, smaller and green, would appear laughing; within seconds, his laughs would transform into wrenching sobs, fists pulling at his hair while he gawked at several bodies piled up beside him. Many faces came and went, with symbols of bats and lightning bolts, arrows and stars.

One such face however, never really went away. It lingered along the corners of his minds, staying within the current of his thoughts constantly as he barked orders here, punished slaves there. Lips and eyes curved into a permanent scowl, loose black hair splayed across his cheeks and neck. He sometimes tried to remember who he was and why his face wouldn't leave. Why it seemed, at times, his eyes would catch something orange and it would feel like minutes, hours, _days _before he could tear his sight away and leave for the night.

His memory may have drained away, but the boy would always remained.

It had been promised after all, once upon a forgotten lifetime ago.

_10. Sky_

They were out later than usual, but it was a Saturday so neither the Reyes or Mrs. Longshadow minded that much. Jaime had his cellphone anyway in case they were called back home.

Both were lying down in the grassy field of a park just a few miles away from Tye's house, hands behind their heads and eyes darting from star to star.

"Hey, you ever wonder what it's like to be Superman?" Jaime asked, "He can just fly whenever he wants to, travel from city to city in no time flat..."

"Not to mention the super strength," Tye added, "What I'd give for just an ounce of his power..."

Jaime turned towards his friend, frowning at the fresh bruise under his eye, "...You want to talk about it, yet?"

"Not now," Tye shook his head, "I just want to stay like this a little while longer."

"Okay, _hermano_," he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before looking back to the dark blue heavens above, "I'll wait."


	3. Galactic Literature

_11. Galaxy_

Sometimes, Jaime would have to leave Earth.

Because of his suit's advanced technology and ability to translate just about any language, he was a welcomed ally on galactic exploits. In the years after the fall of the Reach, he took in the sights and sounds of various alien cultures. He befriended them, ate (and occasionally threw up) with them, and formed treaties to ensure the safety of mankind. It was exciting, fulfilling, and it felt like, after everything that had happened, it was what he was meant to do.

Still, as soon as he landed on Earth at the second Hall of Justice, he would scurry around and ask if Tye was around. And if he was told he was at home with Asami, no matter how tired he was or how much he missed his own wife and kids, Jaime would put his engines on overdrive and shoot over. Soon, the pair would be laughing over a couple of cold ones, sitting on Tye's porch, watching the sun set or the stars glisten.

The galaxy was vast. The galaxy was an adventure. And Tye had every right to hear about it firsthand, mere hours after.

_12. Second Time_

"Are you sure you're ready to do this?" Impulse asked him, his eyes giving off a wisdom no thirteen year-old should possess, "I know it can be scary, but you have to know - "

"Yeah, yeah," Tye waved him off as he tightened his headband over his forehead, "Look dude, I know what I'm doing. Jaime is going to come back and I'm going to help him. It's that simple."

"Yes, I know, but in the future -"

"I don't care about your future!" Tye exclaimed, shoving past him and opening the Bio-Ship's hatch, "In my future, Jaime is going to come out of this just fine. We both are."

With that, he jumped out of the ship and towards his friend, tearing into and terrorizing his former teammates.

He may not have been there the first time to stop Jaime and save his friend.

But he would be damned if he wasn't there for the second.

_13. Cookies_

"Hey," Jaime tugged at Tye's sweaters, "_Hey._ Hey, Tye."

Tye groaned, turning over. Didn't Jaime understand the concept of nap time? "Jaime, I was sleeping. What'ya want?"

"Mama left cookies on the counter," he whispered, "Let's go get some."

"Won't she be angry?" he asked, wiping away the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, "Your mama ain't like my mama."

"I just want one," Jaime whined at his friend, "And I'm _hungry._ Please, Tye?"

And then he had the audacity to pout, complete with wide brown eyes and puffy lips. Tye sighed and rolled his eyes, begrudgingly standing up, "Fine, Jaime. You can stand up on my shoulders."

The squeal and hug that came after just _might_ have been worth the broken cookie jar and Mrs. Reyes' scolding afterward.

_14. Snacks_

When it came to snacks, Jaime was a fickle soul.

There was just so many options! Like chips and salsas or celery and peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies and lemonade or crackers with wheat thins...Each choice had their pros and he was never really sure if he was craving something salty or sweet or spicy...

"God, Jaime, we are not standing here another minute!" Tye scoffed, garbbing a bag of trail mix from the shelf, "You like this - there's chocolate and nuts and everything. Let's get out of here now! Paco and Brenda are probably already there!"

In the end, Tye's impatience always chose for him. And he was strangely okay with that.

_15. Literature_

If they within the pages of a classic piece of literature, characters written by the great Edgar Allan Poe or Mark Twain or Mary Shelly, their genre (if there were only to be one) would be sci fi.

Two normal boys finding themselves pulled into unspeakable evils, developing powers they had only dreamed about; one finding himself falling down, down, _down_, and the other doing everything in his power to hold out his hand and bring him back.

They were the classic tragedy, but the happiest ending would befall upon them.


End file.
